The Ministry of Education has taken steps to halt the screening of students in public schools who sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

By 2016 schools will be required to enter 100 per cent of the grade-11 cohort to sit at least five subjects in an external examination.

This year 71 per cent of the grade-eleven cohort entered English language in CSEC, City & Guilds and the Caribbean Certificate for Secondary Level Competence examinations.

Chief Education Officer Dr Grace McLean says principals and members of staff should desist from the practice of barring students who have not attained a minimum of 60 or 65 per cent in their mock examinations from sitting external examinations.

Instead of relying on the results of mock exams, the Chief Education Officer advised schools to adhere to the current minimum requirement for the CXC programme, which is an average of 50 per cent for all tests done during the year.

Additionally, McLean said schools must give special consideration to those students who may have been affected by extenuating circumstances and may not have met the minimum requirements, but with the necessary intervention will be able to succeed in the examinations.

The Chief Education Officer also says every student who is not recommended for CSEC must be provided with an alternative that is in line with his/her career pathway, subject choices and examinations available.

She said this would allow students to be more focused and will help them to complete their secondary level education with the competencies required.

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